Earl Reservoir contamination concerns addressed

During the Oct. 2 meeting, the Woodbury Town Board addressed resident concerns about possible sewage contamination in Earl Reservoir, believed to be caused by a leaking septic system at the Woodbury Animal Shelter.

This followed Town Supervisor Kathryn Luciani’s Sept. 23 community notice advising residents to use caution as crews cleared trees and prepared the site for the excavation of a new septic system, which she called a “first major step toward building the new Animal Shelter.”

In May, a $490,000 state grant was awarded to the shelter to provide funding for renovations, including new cat enclosures, larger dog runs, and the sealing and coating of floors.

“For the past months, the Town has managed the septic needs at this location by pumping out the system regularly,” Luciani wrote. “This temporary solution allowed us to avoid unnecessary expenses and save taxpayer money while planning for a permanent fix. However, we have now reached the point where construction must begin in order to properly serve the shelter and support the future project.”

The notice was later raised at the Village Board’s Sept. 25 public hearing, where Building Inspector John Hand III, who visited the site days prior, said the current septic field was leaking. After checking out the area, he notified the Orange County Department of Health via email.

The issue involves a red shed at the shelter that had been placed on top of the septic system for about five years. Luciani said the shed made it difficult for septic professionals to inspect the system with a camera and added that its weight may have contributed to an odor. She said the only way to manage the septic system was by having it pumped out every three to four weeks.

Luciani explained that the turning point came when the building inspector raised concerns to the Town Board, prompting them to move the shed and dig up the septic system before the Health Department arrived. She said earlier in the meeting that the department “did not witness anything” during its visit.

During the meeting, Town Engineer Jason Pitingaro spoke to the public, reassuring that the water at Earl Reservoir was not contaminated. He explained that the distance between the animal shelter and the reservoir was about 600 feet, which is twice the length that a septic system is required to be from reservoirs under the New York City Watershed Regulations. He added that he conducted a dye test at the catch basin, but after several hours, the dye “never made its way to the reservoir.”

“The chance that that effluent was making it to the reservoir are, I would say, next to zero,” Pitingaro said.

Pitingaro said plans for the new septic system remain under review and have not yet been approved by the Health Department, a process he said could take 90 to 120 days. He added that the department requested for the current septic system to be repaired and used until the new one is installed, which he said will most likely happen in the spring.

Amid the discussion, Councilmember Brandon Calore inquired if the Orange County Polar Plunge, scheduled for Nov. 8 at the reservoir, will be impacted. Pitingaro said that there’s no issue with the event continuing.

Also during the discussion, Highland Mills resident and Town Supervisor candidate Jacqueline Hernandez clarified to Pitingaro that residents were concerned about the lack of communication regarding a possible leakage. Later in the discussion, Luciani responded to those concerns.

“It wasn’t that we were keeping it from the public,” Luciani said. “It’s the fact that we didn’t know what was happening at the time and that’s why we did the measures that we could.”